Protest over rumour on stipends

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Kokrajhar, July 5: Former Assam agriculture minister and local MLA Pramila Rani Brahma was gheraoed for more than four hours in the heart of Kokrajhar town by angry youths, mostly students, who thronged the BPF party office since early morning to receive the money promised by the party.

Thousands of students made a beeline to the party office and Bodofa Cultural Complex in Kokrajhar town after a rumour spread that the party would distribute money to students. A security guard at cultural complex was injured trying to stop the youths from entering the complex.

Over 5,000 people, including students and guardians, were seen at the cultural complex and an equal number at BPF party office since 7am.

Later in the day, angry over not getting proper information, the youths gheraoed the party office.

Around 3.30pm, local MLA Pramila Rani Brahma went to the party office to pacify the youths but had to face their wrath. When she came out of the office, the crowd followed and gheraoed her at RNB Road for an hour and later took her to Raasmela field and the gherao continued. Police could do little to rescue her.

Later police were forced to use teargas and fire rubber bullets to disperse angry mob.

The youths went on rampage breaking chairs, damaging materials at the BPF party office here in the evening.

According to the youths, most of whom are said to be students, they were asked to come to the party office on Saturday saying they would be given some money to buy books.

According to the youths many had received an amount of money varying between Rs 4,000 and 5,000 earlier and those who did not received, were asked to come on Saturday. “I have come earlier too and was asked to come today,” said a youth from Kargaon area.

Two girls from Patgaon area said as asked they had even submitted documents to prove they were students at the party office and were asked to come later to get the money.

This is not the first time such gathering of public coming to get free money was seen. Such scenes are regular phenomenon these days with elderly ladies, women, youths seen gathering outside the party office or in front of the cultural complex.